Black & Gold Cupcakes (aka Chocolate & Vanilla)

For every celebration involving cake (such as my son's birthday party), there's a typical scenario that plays out in my house: 

 

A) Son presents mom with complex, highly detailed plan of cake that she'll never be able to accomplish in this lifetime.

B) Mom suggests that this time a professional will need to be consulted.

C) Son looks at mom with a long face and mentions how disappointed he'll be if she doesn't make the actual cake part herself.

D) Negotiations commence and scaled back design plans go into effect.

E) Last minute curveball.

F) Mom makes cake (or cupcakes) with a simple design, son is happy and applauds efforts.

...every time. This year started with a plan for a football cake - full field, lots of detailing, right down to the look of the football players. And if I'd let him continue, there'd have been a stadium full of people, too. So we get through Step D and then my son decides the night before his party that he doesn't really want a general football party any more, it should be a Saints football party, and those 48 cupcakes already baked would look really good if they just had gold liners instead of the silver they were sporting...

Fortunately for my son, I have a lot of experience working with editors and clients who have last minute brainstorms, so his curveballs don't throw me. I tweaked, we had the party, he loved the cupcakes, declared them magnificent (with his mouth full, of course), and all was a great success. 

But there's a greater issue that comes up when we decide to do cupcakes in the traditional flavors that he always requests. I have great yellow and chocolate cake recipes, but they just don't translate to cupcakes. Both are too moist and tender to hold up as a cupcake and they never dome enough, so I end up compensating with too much frosting. So I've cycled through recipe after recipe, looking for the best cupcake recipes I can find (because we both have exacting expectations of the taste, if not the design).

I've been almost satisfied at times, but this time I finally have some real keepers (which is the reward you get when you clean a small corner of your office and discover recipes pulled in 2008). Both cupcake recipes are from Food & Wine, as is the white buttercream. The milk chocolate frosting is from the Food Network and it's perfect for the yellow cupcake (and finicky children). So next year, when I find myself having the same conversation, at least I'll know I'm no longer facing the challenge of the cupcake as well. I'll take success where I can find it!

 

Chocolate Cupcakes:
(makes 12)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweeted cocoa powder (not Dutch Process)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper or foil liners.

2. In a small saucepan, melt the butter with the vegetable oil and water over low heat.

3. In a large bowl, sift the flour with the sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Add the melted butter mixture and beat with a handheld mixer at low speed until smooth. Add the egg and beat until incorporated, then add the buttermilk and vanilla and beat until smooth, scraping the bowl as necessary. Pour the batter into the lined muffin tin, dividing the batter equally among the cups.

4. Bake the cupcakes in the center of the oven for 23-25 minutes, until springy and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool slightly, then transfer them to a rack to cool completely.

White Buttercream:
(enough to generously frost 12 cupcakes)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream (I used half-and-half which gave me a slightly stiffer frosting that held up to summer heat and humidity)

In a medium bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the softened butter at medium speed until smooth. Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt and beat the mixture at low speed just until combined. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until smooth. Add the milk or heavy cream and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

 

Golden Cupcakes:
(makes 12 cupcakes)

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk, at room temperature

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper or foil liners.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the cornstarch, baking powder and salt.

3. In a large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the sugar with the eggs and vanilla extract at medium-high speed until smooth and thickened slightly, about 3 minutes. Add the butter and oil and beat until incorporated, scraping the bottom and side of the bowl. Add the dry ingredients and milk in 3 alternating batches, beating well between additions. Carefully pour the batter into the lined muffin tins, dividing the batter equally among the cups.

4. Bake the cupcakes in the center of the oven for 20 - 23 minutes, until springy and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cupcakes cool slightly in the muffin tin, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

My Notes: I was baking these cupcakes in a pale colored, nonstick pan. Generally, I know that you lower the oven temperature by 25 degrees when cooking in dark, nonstick pans, but I didn't know if that also applied to the lighter color. So I made two batches and there was definitely a difference. I preferred the cupcakes baked at 325 for the same amount of time, even though they were barely colored. The cupcake with the slightly more golden exterior seemed a little dry. However, I baked the chocolate cupcakes in the same pan at 350 and they were perfect. So you might want to try baking the golden cupcakes at the lower temperature or check them just a bit earlier if baking them at 350.

 

Milk Chocolate Frosting:
(enough to generously frost 12 cupcakes)

3 1/2 ounces milk chocolate
3 ounces semisweet chocolate
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Put the chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Melt at 50 percent power until soft, about 1 minute. Stir, and continue heat until completely melted, about 1 to 2 minutes more.)

2. Add the confectioners' sugar, milk, butter, vanilla extract, and salt and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.  

 

Comments

[Suzonne]

Jesika,

I'm so glad they worked out for you. You can find a million recipes for all kinds of exotic cupcakes, but sometimes it's the basics that are harder to nail. Considering how many times a year I need simple yellow and chocolate cupcakes, I'm grateful to finally have a go-to recipe.

And welcome to the world of blogging!

[Jesika]

I'm going to have a"test-kitchen" -like this weekend, and i'm made this recipe before hand because i'm a huge fan of bloopers in my kitchen and these came out perfect!
I just started my own blog and hope to expand, thank you for sharing this recipe!
jesika
www.withlovejka.com

[Suzonne]

Teresa, that's quite a compliment coming from YOU! Thank you. :)

[teresa]

The sweetest part of this whole post is not the cupcakes, it's that your son has a wonderful mom like you! :)